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Facts about Egyptian gods provides kids, schools and students with clues on how to unravel the mysteries of the hieroglyphs displayed in the tombs and artefacts of ancient Egypt. The interesting Facts about Egyptian gods and goddesses provides an overview of the deities worshipped in ancient Egypt. |
Top Ten Facts about Ancient Egyptian Gods Top Ten Facts on Egyptian Gods Numbers of Deities: 1. There were 2000 deities, but most were worshipped as local gods Egyptian Gods: 2. Egyptian Gods and goddesses were worshipped for 3000 years Heads of Animals: 3. Gods depicted with heads of animals were identification devices Male Gods: 4. Male gods were shown with dark reddish-brown skin colors Goddesses: 5. Females were painted with yellow skin, indicating indoor lifestyles Symbols: 6. Symbols surrounding the gods all had meanings and significance Creations Myths: 7. Myth Stories explained the beginning of gods & mankind Pharaohs & Gods: 8. The Pharaohs & Kings of Egypt were worshipped as living Gods. Temples: 9. Temples were believed to be the dwelling place of the gods Book of the Dead: 10. The Book of the Dead was a protective 'guide to the underworld', a collection of 'spells' to enable dead souls to overcome the perils and terrifying dangers of the gods of the underworld Facts about major Egyptian gods Facts about Egyptian Gods and Major Goddesses Fact 1: Anubis was the jackal headed god of the dead, tombs and embalming who guided souls to face judgement in the Hall of the Two Truths witnessed by Osiris and 42 judge deities Fact 2: Osiris was the god with the green skin reflecting the life he brought to the people of ancient Egypt. Osiris was the the god of death, the Underworld and Rebirth Fact 3: The Ra, the Supreme Solar God, also known as Atum-Ra or Re, was usually depicted in human form with a falcon head, crowned with the sun disc encircled by the uraeus ,the symbol of the rearing cobra that protected the Pharaohs Fact 4: The cat goddess Bastet who represented both the home and the domestic cat and the war-like aspect of a lioness. Her cult was centered on her sanctuary at Bubastis Fact 5: Ptah was an ancient Egyptian creator god who was also a god of artisans, designers, builders and masons. Ptah was depicted in human form, tightly wrapped like a mummy, wearing a close fitting cap crown Fact 6: Thoth was the moon god and then revered as a god of wisdom, magic, music, astronomy, geometry, drawing and writing. His role was as the secretary of Ra in the Underworld. Thoth was generally depicted in human form with the head of an ibis. Fact 7: Isis was the wife of Osiris and mother goddess. She was depicted in human form, crowned either by a throne or by cow horns enclosing a sun disk. It was Isis who found and reassembled the body of Osiris after his murder and dismemberment by the evil god Set Fact 8: Khepri was the scarab headed god who represented the power of the scarab symbol. The scarab was one of the most potent symbols of ancient Egypt primarily symbolizing the sun, resurrection, transformation and protection Fact 9: Maat was a goddess of the Underworld and truth and justice. Maat sat in judgment over the souls of the dead in the Judgment Hall of Osiris where the dead person's heart was placed on a scale, balanced by Feather of Ma'at (her symbol that she wore on her head was an ostrich feather). Fact 10: Horus was a son of Osiris depicted in human form with the head of a falcon, and a sky god. Horus avenged the murder of his father against Set. Fact 11: Atum was the creator god and the chief god of the collection of nine gods referred to as the Ennead of Heliopolis. Fact 12: Sekhmet, lioness of war was depicted in human form with the head of a lioness and crowned by the solar disk. She was called "The Powerful One" and said to breathe fire at the enemies of the pharaoh. Fact 13: Hathor was the Egyptian cow goddess and depicted either as a cow or in human form wearing a crown consisting of a sun disk held between the horns of a cow. Fact 14: Amun was a sky god who came to be regarded as a sun god and the head of the Egyptian pantheon of gods and became associated with the Sun god Ra. continued... Pictures & Facts about Major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses Facts about ancient Facts about Egyptian gods Facts about Major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses Egyptian Gods Fact 15: There was not a single god, the ancient Religion of Egypt allowed for an unlimited number of gods and goddesses. Egyptian Gods Fact 16: There were many different cults associated with the deities which resulted in different versions of the Creation myth. Egyptian Gods Fact 17: There was not a ‘Holy Book’, such as the Bible or the Koran. Egyptian Gods Fact 18: The 'Book of the Dead' was the people of Egypt to prepare for their death and provided protection on their journey in the Underworld by supplying the knowledge of religious myths, ritual recitations, incantations and magical spells. Egyptian Gods Fact 19: The major deities of Egypt had political backing leading to large followings and cult centers. Egyptian Gods Fact 20: The different Crowns and headdresses worn by the Egyptian Gods were all symbolic and had different meanings. Egyptian Gods Fact 21: The statues of the Egyptian gods and goddesses were washed with lotus-scented water, oiled and adorned with make-up, jewelry and clothes Egyptian Gods Fact 22: The Lotus was often depicted in hieroglyphs and symbolized the sun, of creation, rebirth and regeneration. Egyptian Gods Fact 23: The 'Ankh' was one of the most important Egyptian Symbols seen in pictures of ancient Egypt. The 'Ankh', which was also known as key of life, was depicted as a "cross with a handle" that represented eternal life. Egyptian Gods Fact 24: The Scarab symbol represented the sun, resurrection, transformation and protection Egyptian Gods Fact 25: The Symbol of the All-Seeing Eye was a potent symbol assoicated with the Egyptian gods. The right eye represented the sun and so it was called the "Eye of Ra" whilst the left represented the moon and was known as the "Eye of Horus". Egyptian Gods Fact 26: The sun temple located in the City of Heliopolis, Egypt, was dedicated to the solar deity Ra, and housed the Tree of Life. Egyptian Gods Fact 27: The Bennu Bird (Phoenix) sheltered in the the Tree of Life, at Heliopolis and symbolized resurrection and the rising sun and was associated with the rising of the Nile Egyptian Gods Fact 28: There was the only short period of monotheism (the worship of one god) in the 3000 year history of Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten (the father of Tutankhamen). Egyptian Gods Fact 29: Some of the Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses were perceived as 'human hybrids' taking on the form and reflecting characteristics of animals such as the crocodile, jackal, ram or falcon Egyptian Gods Fact 30: The Priests evolved a Family tree of the major deities to explain how some of the Gods and Goddesses were related. Facts about Major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses |
